Aim: to examine the variety of causes responsible for the Somalian Famine and Horn of Africa Crisis 2011.

Background: Killed 260,000 people, half of them under the age of 6. Many international aid activists believe that tens of thousands of people died needlessly because outside nations were slow to respond to early signs of approaching hunger in Eastern Africa in late 2010, early 2011. The toll was also exacerbated by extremist militants from the Shabab, who prevented food deliveries to the areas of south-central Somalia that they controlled.

FACTORS:

Social: An estimated 290,000 Somalis fled across the border into neighbouring countries, mainly to Ethiopia and Kenya (Dabaab refugee camp in Northern Kenya).

Political: Conflict and insecurity impeded humanitarian assistance and access. In November 2011, the al-Shabaab militia banned 16 humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR from operating in territory under its control.

Demographic: Lower Shabelle, Mogadishu and Bay were hardest hit, with the proportion of children under 5 who died in these areas estimated to be about 18 %, 17% and 13%. An estimated 4.6% of the total population and 10% of children under 5 died in Southern and Central Somalia.

During the summer months of 2011, news media began to report the worsening situation in the countries that make up the Horn of Africa.

Drought had been problem in the region for some time, and this was made worse by the conflicts and unrest that affected the country. Many thousands of people began to make their way…